GG UK Volunteers Wikia
Welcome to the GlobalGiving UK Volunteers Wiki This is YOUR space, it is a collaborative space where volunteers and staff can edit and add info.Here you can find information about GlobalGiving UK and the non profit sector. You can also find tools and resources What is GlobalGiving UK? GlobalGiving UK is the first and largest global crowdfunding community for nonprofits. We give social entrepreneurs and nonprofits anywhere in the world a chance to raise the money that they need to improve their communities. Coaching and mentoring Introduction to coaching and mentoring Coaching and mentoring are both about helping people to learn and develop. A coach or mentor encourages professional growth, helps achieve clarity of vision and provides a nurturing environment for the development of skills. Coaching and mentoring are learning relationships that help people to take charge of their own development, to release their potential and to achieve results that they value. The coaching or mentoring relationship facilitates insight, learning and change. Through this relationship, potential is identified, possibilities become reality and tangible results are delivered. The terms coaching and mentoring are commonly used so much so that often the distinction between the two is lost or blurred. However, in your role on Route to Good, an appreciation of the distinction is vital. In his book Masterful Coaching, Robert Hargrove makes a simple distinction between coaching and mentoring using a push/pull continuum (see figure 1 below). Mentoring is more towards the ‘push’ end of the spectrum – solving someone’s problem for them, and coaching on the non-directive end - ‘pull’– helping someone solve their own problem. Coaching Coaching provides ‘non-directive’ support. The coach achieves this by employing questioning skills and various techniques to support the ‘coachee’ to identify their own way forward and course of action rather than offering up ideas or solutions. The coach does not offer technical input but “unlocks” the potential of the individual so that they can maximise their own performance. Effective coaching does not rely necessarily on the specific experience and knowledge of the coach being greater than that of the client; the coach’s role is to develop the clients’ ability to learn rather than to teach them. The key skills required of a coach are powerful questioning, active listening, and emotional intelligence; these are supported by the use of coaching models and tools. Coaching sessions have a fixed goal, are future action focused and are not simply ‘cosy chats’. A coaching relationship is a supportive one, which allows the coachee to feel safe to explore potentially difficult feelings, decisions and issues. It is however a challenging environment which ultimately moves thinking. The most common and intuitive model is the GROW model (see figure 2 below). This provides an easy to follow structure for a coaching conversation, taking a coachee through the stages required for them to achieve an outcome. Appendix 1 provides a list of great coaching questions at each stage of the model. Mentoring In Greek mythology, Odysseus put his friend Mentor in charge of his son Telemachus when he went to war. He asked him to look after him and show him the ways of the world. Because of this, the personal name Mentor has been adopted as a term meaning someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less experienced colleague. Mentoring is very much about knowledge transfer, in a teacher to pupil style. The mentor is usually a more experienced individual willing to share their knowledge with someone less experienced in a relationship based on trust''' ' '''When to use coaching and mentoring' In the relationships that you have, you will need to decide what approach is best. Be aware that most people automatically gravitate towards a mentoring approach. Most people like to help and also to share experiences for purposes of rapport. Try to be make a conscious decision as to what approach you think is most relevant depending on the scenario. * Is this a potential area for the person to develop? * Is it important that they are able to tackle these problems on their own in the future? * Is there the potential for learning? * Has the individual got the potential to deal with this issue themselves? * Is ‘your’ solution not necessarily the right solution for them? If any of the answers have been yes, then a coaching approach may be more appropriate…. * Have you either seen or been in exactly the same situation before? * Is there one obvious option here? * Would your advice be valuable and not get in the way of learning? * Are you going to add real value by suggesting a course of action? * Is the individual in danger of going down a really dangerous/ risky/ wrong route if you don’t give some advice? If any of the answers have been yes, then a mentoring approach may be more appropriate. Coaching and mentoring virtually - tips Many Volunteer Teams will be working with a charity remotely; therefore some extra considerations need to be made for an effective session. You may be able to connect using skype, google hangout or tele-conference so you can see people you are working with at the charity. It may be good to try this so you can see each other at least once even if it is then better to use the telephone ongoing for a clearer connection. Before you start the coaching session: • Make sure your colleagues know you are not to be disturbed • Mute your phone when speaking to minimise background noise • Your coaching space (perhaps the office) should be comfortable and calm • Clear your mind before you start getting ready • Take 5 to 10 minutes to look through your notes and plan the coaching session. • Within your team make sure you have had a pre-session meeting or email conversation to structure the call, who is asking what or leading which section. • Within your Volunteer team nominate a scribe and know who is leading what areas of the conversation. • Block your time: 10 to 15 minutes before the call and about another 10 after the call (to make notes) • Re-group as a team after the call and discuss progress, what went well, what can be improved? • Be honest to yourself, your charity and your team: Take the time to prepare your space and your mind Latest activity Category:Browse